1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to dual- or multiple-projectile targeting games, and more specifically relates to a method and device for developing accurate aim in such games.
2. Background Art
There are many games and activities that involve propelling a ball or other projectile at a target. Relatively few of these games require a participant to propel a first projectile toward a second projectile in an attempt to move the second projectile toward a target. As used herein, the description xe2x80x9cdual- or multiple-projectile targeting gamesxe2x80x9d is used to describe games where this latter endeavor is the object. Billiards and marbles are just two examples of these dual- or multiple-projectile targeting games. Other similar games may also exist. While the following discussion may focus on billiards, it will be understood that the invention described herein may be used in connection with any dualor multiple-projectile targeting game or activity.
Billiards is a term used to refer to any of several games played on a table with a designated number of balls and a long stick called a cue. Many, but not all, billiard tables have pockets in various locations into which certain of the billiard balls are to be propelled in a manner that varies with the type of billiards game being played.
One of the challenges of many conventional forms of billiards is that instead of aiming and propelling a ball directly toward a targetxe2x80x94which may be, for example, one of the pockets referred to abovexe2x80x94a first ball must generally be propelled toward a second ball in an attempt to impact it in such a way as to propel that second ball toward the target. Because the direction a ball moves is determined almost entirely by where it is impacted, a successful billiards player must correctly aim one ball at another, and accurately strike the first ball such that it hits a very specific desired impact point on the second ball. Since the angles between the two balls and the target can vary so widely, acquiring the skills described above can be rather difficult.
A player""s aim and accuracy can, however, often be improved with practice. There are several inventions that seek to aid in this process. Many such inventions involve templates or similar devices, designed to be placed on a billiard table or billiard ball, that indicate correct trajectories, impact points, or striking locations. The existing inventions, however, are problematic in that they do not give clear feedback as to whether a particular point on the impacted ball has been hit. Further drawbacks of the existing devices are that they may involve potentially undesirable markings on the game equipment, or may involve placing an item on the table that either affects the trajectory of the ball or that must be removed before a shot is attempted, thus deviating from actual game conditions.
Therefore, there exists a need for a method and device adapted to develop the aim and accuracy useful in dual- or multiple-projectile targeting games, such as billiards or marbles. The present invention provides an accuracy development device including a simulated projectile, so called because it differs from a conventional projectile in ways that will be explained below, coupled to a feedback mechanism that provides feedback indicating whether a desired impact point on the simulated projectile has been hit by a free projectile propelled toward it by a cue stick or other means. The desired impact point may be a sensor coupled to the feedback mechanism.
Both billiards and marbles conventionally are played with balls, i.e., spherical projectiles, on a substantially flat surface. One such spherical projectilexe2x80x94the struck projectilexe2x80x94may be made to move in a variety of directions by striking it at particular points on its surface with another spherical projectilexe2x80x94the striking projectile. For example, to move the struck projectile along the same line traveled by the striking projectile, the striking projectile must hit the struck projectile squarely in its center. To move the struck projectile along some other path, an off-center impact is necessary. The invention described herein may assist a user of the invention with the successful placement of such impacts at particular desired impact points, where the impact points are selected based on the desired final destination of the struck projectile.
The simulated projectile of the present invention may be fixed to a contact location on a base such that the simulated projectile may not be moved in a translational sense but so that it may be rotated about an axis that extends through the contact location and the simulated projectile and is substantially perpendicular to the base. The desired impact point may thus be moved to a variety of different positions with respect to the free projectile, allowing the invention to be used for the development of accuracy with shots of all angles and types.
In one embodiment of the invention, the feedback mechanism may be electronic, and may provide feedback that is visual, audible, or detectable in some other way. Feedback mechanisms of other forms, or that provide feedback of other descriptions, are also possible. The base of the invention may be provided with a substantially flat runway adjacent to one or more channels into which the free projectile may fall after impacting the simulated projectile. Such a channel may allow the free projectile to roll or slide to a location within reach of the user of the invention. The invention allows a user to develop needed accuracy even when a billiards table is not available, and because in at least one embodiment the invention is portable, the required skills may be developed almost anywhere.